How Your Agency Is Your Advocate

Some people get the (wrong) impression that the hardest part of surrogacy is just finding a match (although, admittedly, it is pretty hard!). So if you already have a match, why do you need an agency? While it’s true that finding the perfect match between the intended parents and the gestational carrier is HUGE, and agencies can definitely play a big role in that, even if you were lucky enough to find a match on your own or if your agency found your match for you, the work has just begun. Here are just two major ways your agency is your advocate through your surrogacy journey.

Background Checks, Medical Clearance, and Interviews, Oh My!

Along with finding that perfect match goes lots and lots and lots (did we say, lots) of paperwork plus background checks, medical clearances, psychological evaluations, interviews, insurance reviews, etc. Agencies keep track of your giant checklist of to dos for you, so you don’t have to. They are going to make sure you get all of the proper paperwork to the right people on top of finding the perfect match, so there are no hiccups along the way. And the legal stuff…did we mention the legal stuff? Yeah…they’ll be on top of that as well to coordinate all of your legal representation to ensure you’re being taking care of from that side of things.

Communication

Because there are so many moving pieces to this journey, communication is key! This is a physically, mentally, and emotionally trying time for both the intended parents and the gestational carrier, and unexpected issues can arise. When these situations do arise, it’s not always comfortable to approach the other party directly, which is when having an agency can come in handy. IPs and GCs develop a relationship with the individuals at the agency because they’ve been working closely with them for quite some time, so when there is an issue that needs to be addressed, even if they’re not comfortable going directly to each other about it, they generally will be okay opening up to their contact at the agency about it. The agency can then set up a meeting between the two parties to work out the issue. Or if a meeting isn’t desired, the agency can act as the middleman between the two parties to help open communication. If it comes to the point where the issue at hand requires more attention, the agency can recommend a good couples counselor (not just for marriages!) or psychologist if that is what the parties desire.

While, in general, most major issues are worked out ahead of time in your gestational carrier agreement in terms of wishes for the pregnancy and delivery, there are always topics that can come up along the way that might get heated that may require a third party to step in. One example of when an agency could be your advocate would be; as a surrogate, you’re in your third trimester with a few weeks until the baby is due. You just had your appointment and found out your baby is breech. You agreed upon a c-section if medically necessary ahead of time, but you’d like to try everything possible to turn the baby in order to avoid a c-section. Your Intended Parents just want the baby to arrive safe and healthy but are terrified of the idea of even considering a breech birth. Emotions are high on both ends, and neither party can speak out without things getting heated. This is where your agency could step in to be the third party and really help out!

The surrogacy journey can be very overwhelming at times. Having an agency to help you through it can make your life much easier!

For more information on how New Mexico Surrogacy can be your advocate, contact us!